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Thursday 24 February 2000

The World Today is a comprehensive current affairs program which backgrounds, analyses, interprets and encourages debate on events and issues of interest and importance to all Australians. Below is the program summary with links to transcripts and audio (if available).

Govt delays mandatory sentencing protest

Ten days after the Federal Government said it would write to the Northern Territory and Western Australian governments asking them to review mandatory sentencing laws, the letter still hasn't been posted. Although the Prime Minister says his government is not filibustering, he's given no indication when the letter might be ready.

NT Chief Justice opts to stay

The Chief Justice of the Northern Territory has this morning decided not to disqualify himself from a case involving a cannabis offender, following special submissions this morning from prosecution and defence lawyers in his court.

Rise in children's psychiatric medication

There's been a huge increase in the use of behaviour-modifying medication to treat perceived behavioural problems in young people over recent years, but a particularly disturbing study published this morning in the United States shows that an increasing number of children aged between two and four years are being subjected to these magical attempts to control behaviour.

Jeff Kennett turns journalist

After developing a reputation for being one of Australia's foremost anti-media performers - witness numerous incidents of sand-throwing and other bucketing of reporters - Jeffrey Gibb Kennett - to use his own words - has crossed the Rubicon. The defeated Premier of Victoria has moved into the fourth estate - scheduled to make his first reporting appearance for the Nine Network's 60 Minutes program.

Meg Lees on charities' FBT exemption

The Australian Democrats are threatening to vote against the Federal government plan to impose an extra fringe benefits tax burden on charities and public hospitals. Democrats Leader, Meg Lees, says she's written to the Treasurer to state her Party's opposition to a $17,000 cap on FBT tax exemptions for the charities.

Floods hit rural Qld hard

Almost one third of Queensland is affected by flooding today as unusually heavy rain spreads across large tracks of the outback. Vast areas in the west of Queensland are hardest hit with places like Longreach bracing for the inundation to come tomorrow.

Australian scientists close in on malaria treatment

The mosquito-borne parasite disease, malaria, is the scourge of the developing world. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into research over the decades since DDT ceased to be an effective control agent - but still more than 2-and-a-half-million people die from malaria-related illness. But now - Australian scientists say they're getting closer to a an effective malaria treatment. A research team - working in seperate groups in Melbourne and Canberra has identified a gene in the malaria parasite which makes it drug-resistant offering every chance of developing a genetic counter-foil within a few years.

Organ donation laws

Organ and tissue donation first began in Australia about 60 years ago when corneal transplants were conducted in the 1940s. The law didn't catch up though with these medical advances until ten years on, but it seems it's still flagging a bit today.

Australia implicated in Echelon spy network

Australia has been implicated in an investgation into the theft of commercial secrets from European companies. Australia is a small part in an intelligence network known as Echelon that includes the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. A report now before a key committee of the European Parliament alleges that the US and Britain have been passing on information collected by the Echelon network to American companies.

Israel fears new wave of terrorist attacks

Israeli security forces fear a wave of deadly attacks by the militant Palestinian group, Hamas, following the discovery of a large terrorist operation in the West Bank. As Middle East correspondent Dominique Schwartz reports, political and economic frustrations not only with Israel but also the Palestinian Authority, have made the University campuses fertile ground for Hamas recruiters.

GST clouds business investment future

There's been another indicator today of business confusion over the impact of the GST. In the latest offical survey of business investment, many were unable to indicate their future investment plans by taking into account the tax changes. And explains the survey also confirms the slowing trend of business investment in new building and equipment.